I like Artifact, but I confess that I find it kind of stressful. I wish there were a more robust single-player version, but then I always wish that about these games.
For that matter, I find pretty much all these online card games stressful in PvP mode. But oddly, Arena is easier on my blood pressure somehow. Maybe because I expect to lose with my newb deck?
I admit as much as I like the game, I do find it a bit stressful as well. There are just so many small decisions that can have significant consequences. I have a decent win rate but I always feel like I’m flying by the seat of my pants.
I suppose one should never underestimate how little people value their time.
If all you’re after is a god-tier deck, and don’t enjoy the process of acquiring it, I can understand that criticism. But the games Telefrog listed all have a lot of fun decks and games on your way up the ladder. There’s a lot of fun to be had playing with less-than-complete decks and getting wins anyway…for me, anyway.
If you want a top-tier deck quickly, you’ll have to pay either way.
Obviously, the pay model doesn’t mean anything regarding that the game has lost, what, 97% of its player base, since those people already paid for the game. You guys are talking about Artifact’s problem of getting new players instead of its issue of retaining current players.
The reason it’s not retaining players is what Mysterial said, the lack of any meaningful stats tracking and progression system. It’s like Valve looked at the most popular digital CCG and said, “we’ll not do anything like that.” The same goes for making the $20 barrier to entry, which ensures that getting new players will be extremely limited. In today’s competitive environment, where there’s even a free and very good Magic game, that’s just crazy.
I like Artifact a lot, but I gave it a rest after 7 hours of bot matches with the pre-constructed decks. What will bring me back is post-game stats and replays, because it’s an inherently competitive game and Dota 2 has spoiled me. I’m still looking forward to diving into the drafting modes and opening my card packs. I trust Valve will keep supporting it.
New update for Artifact. Tons of balance changes to items and some bug fixes:
1/28 Update
JAN 28 @ 2:38PM - PERSONGUY
Item Card Changes:
- Blade of the Vigil: Cleave increased from +2 to +4
- Keenfolk Plate: Added “Equipped hero’s attackers have -1 Armor”
- Stonehall Pike cost reduced from 6 gold to 5 gold
- Stonehall Plate cost reduced from 6 gold to 5 gold
- Barbed Mail cost reduced from 6 gold to 5 gold
- Assassin’s Veil cost reduced from 6 gold to 4 gold
- Phase Boots cost reduced from 6 gold to 5 gold
- Broadsword cost reduced from 7 gold to 6 gold
- Keenfolk Musket cost reduced from 7 gold to 6 gold
- Chainmail cost reduced from 7 gold to 6 gold
- Fur-lined Mantle cost reduced from 7 gold to 6 gold
- Red Mist Maul cost reduced from 10 gold to 9 gold
- Obliterating Orb cost reduced from 10 gold to 9 gold
- Ring of Tarrasque cost reduced from 12 gold to 10 gold
- Cloak of Endless Carnage cost reduced from 13 gold to 10 gold
- Claymore cost reduced from 15 gold to 14 gold
- Platemail cost reduced from 15 gold to 12 gold
- Hero’s Cape cost reduced from 15 gold to 12 gold
Private Lobby & Tournament Changes:
- Added Random Two Color deck option for private lobbies and tournaments. This gives both players different randomized 2-color decks in each match.
- Added Speed Timer option for private lobbies and tournaments. This allows players 10 seconds to take each action.
- Automated Open Tournaments are now ‘Chaos Blitz’. Chaos Blitz is Random Two Color, Speed Timer, 8 player free-for-all lasting for 1 hour and 30 minutes
Bug Fixes & Other Changes:
- Hovering gold in the HUD displays the amount of gold spent but not yet revealed through playing items (this is a clue rather than an exact amount because of hidden information with Hold, Shop Deed, etc.)
- Fixed Rebel Instigator combat arrows not appearing sometimes
- Fixed issue with Plague wards spawn particles
- Fixed losing a few seconds from the action timer after deployment
- Fixed tournament draft replays not showing selected cards
- Fixed long persona names getting cut off
- Fixed crosslane targets sometimes not showing in Last Action text.
- Fixed Chat Wheel lines for Rebel Decoy, Pit Fighter of Quoidge, Zeus, and Beastmaster
- Reduced low end noise in deck building ambient audio
- Added particle effects for some passive abilities
- Slightly reduced draw card animation speed (time between draws remains the same)
- Slightly increased the time between Eclipse beams (intro/outro time remains the same)
- Improved stability
- Updated localization files
And finally:
Unchanged:
- Still in it for the long haul
Long haul, AKA, a couple expansions, not 3 though… :D
I’m really curious to see if they can find a way to turn it around. I enjoyed the game but now that only the sharks are left it doesn’t really work for me anymore.
My guess of what is going to happen:
They are working on remaking the game as a free to play client, will pump marketing heavily leading up to a tournament at this year’s The International, perhaps even make DOTA 2 item drops linked to the game. As a parasite game that lives under DOTA 2’s wings it could have a moderate and consistently sized community that net Valve enough revenue to keep it going.
It’s possible, but I hope not. If I want to spend 100 hours grinding to get to the actual gameplay there are plenty of options for that already.
This patch obviously isn’t the “bring players back” patch, but it has a lot of smart, incremental improvements – all buffs, no nerfs – for those few people still playing. Swim and others have been saying for a while that the item shop needs work, and this patch will help address that. It will encourage a wider variety of item builds, and more use of items in general.
Incidentally, I’ve been mucking around with DOTA 2 just for grins for the past week, to see what all the fuss is about. I suppose I’m the relatively rare gamer who experienced Artifact before DOTA. Anyway, DOTA is kinda fun, though not for me in the long run – my 50-something reflexes and joints can’t handle all that clicking. But DOTA’s extensive item shop helped me appreciate why the Artifact item shop exists, heh.
Indeed it wasn’t. Peak concurrent players down to 600, from 2.2k just before the patch.
317 online playing now. Ordinarily I don’t care how many people are playing a game, but for a digital card game to be viable, I would think you need more than 317 people!
Wonder what level of support Valve will keep tossing at this.
It’s got to be one of the biggest flops in awhile. Valve released an unfinished game knowing the foundation was solid and expecting the players to stick around a long time as they finish it (as they did with pubg etc.). It’s sad to me because i think there is a good card game in there.
I think they should make it f2p asap and give all buyers SteamBux for goodwill.
Ooff. It’s funny, because I was thinking the other day about the bombs of the last months (your Fallout 76s, possibly Anthem, etc) and I had totally forgotten Artifact existence. It’s like the game erased itself from the time continuum.
Yeah, it’s a shame. I actually like the mechanics of the game; I think it’s interesting and fun. But online card games stress me out too much, and Artifact has no significant single-player component. Playing bots with no progression reward doesn’t grab me.
The two main creators of the game have been let go at Valve as part of several layoffs. Guess confirms the tanking of the game…